The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Winches and hoists are used for a wide range of applications and many different sizes and types of winches and hoists are produced. Winches are commonly mounted to bumpers of off-road vehicles and can be utilized to pull a vehicle from a stuck condition, or to pull the vehicle up a steep incline, by attaching one end of the cable of the winch to a tree or other stationary object. The industrial winches and hoists are also utilized for lifting applications or on a job site, shop, barn, or home. Industrial winches and hoists are typically required to be bolted down or otherwise affixed to a stationary object for use and can sometimes be heavy in weight and cumbersome to carry.
Although the maximum working capacity of winches and hoists are portrayed in the user manuals and warning labels, it is likely that a winch can still be misused by overloading. This is an occurrence that excessive load is applied to a winch or hoist, which could exceed its maximum operating capacity. During this undesirable condition, the winch or hoist motor operates near stall or at stall torque that could cause a breakdown.
The pulling tool of the present disclosure provides a portable, easy to carry, relatively lightweight construction for a pulling tool. The pulling tool of the present disclosure includes a durable construction while maintaining portability and reliability. The portable pulling tool of the present disclosure includes a one-piece casting to locate and support all of the gear components in precise alignment. The system gear train utilizes a combination of helical gearing to accommodate the motor high speed and a differential planetary gear system which has a compact size and self-braking capability.
The system also includes an electronic load limiter that monitors motor current and drives a multi segment LED that indicates approximately how much load is being pulled. The controller algorithm processes various motor current waveforms and determines motor effective current that is proportional to the given physical load on the system When the maximum load is achieved, the controller shuts the motor off for a short period of time while blinking a set of LEDs indicating that the unit is at an overload condition.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.